Happy New Year

Only one hour left of 2007. Bryan and I are a low-key pair tonight. Bryan came down with a stomach virus this morning and has been in bed all day. Me being pregnant, I am more than happy to join him in laying around. Bummer we had to cancel our get-together for this evening. We pretty much always have a New Year's Eve party so it is kinda weird sitting at home just the two of us. We are going to break out the sparkling cider here in a bit. This will by far be the cheapest New Year's we have had in a loooong time. We can put the small fortune we usually spend on booze and appetizers toward something grown up like a new dining room table or a crib for the baby boy. :)

This has been a good year for us. It certainly has had its high points here toward the end. Gosh, looking back it is hard to remember all that has happened. I started out the year wanting to change a major problem for me- my weight. It wasn't a New Year's resolution because I just don't believe in those things. Never seems to stick. This was more of something I needed to do. I'm proud to say I lost 39 pounds this year and am in the best shape of my life (well, pre-pregnancy).



Heather and I running our first 5k

Bryan and I have done a lot of traveling this year and have gotten some good beach-time. We love the beach. If we aren't at the beach when we are on vacation, then it just doesn't really feel like vacation. Two trips we took this summer were particularly fun- Panama City beach with our families and California with Bryan's family. Mmmm, gives me a sunshine hankering just thinking about it.



PCB Memorial Day Weekend



California on Bryan's Aunt and Uncle's awesome boat

Bryan's sister got married this summer to a really great guy. Their wedding was beautiful and a true expression of who they are. Beth was a gorgeous bride and her dress was perfect on her. We had a lot of fun going up to Athens for the weekend. They seem really happy which is so nice to see. I think since I love being married, it just makes me really happy to see other happily married couples. I don't know- I'm just a true romantic at heart. I like the happy endings.

When I think about the year in general, Bryan and I had a lot of fun. We knew that a baby was close in our future and I think we wanted to make the most of every moment just the two of us. We are so ready for this baby but we also love hanging out just us. Some of my favorite times this year were Saturday nights at La Fonda (a cuban restaurant that has tasty, cheap margaritas). We would head over there after I got off work and have dinner and drinks and just talk and talk. I love that.

The next year is sure to bring a ton of excitement and change for us and our family. It is hard for me to imagine what it will be like. I have seen so many friends and family go through this baby thing, but I think it is different when it is US going through it! :) I can't wait to see what this little guy looks like and to experience all that he will bring to our lives.

Hopefully, we will be starting off the new year with a last hurrah beach vacation in February. We aren't sure where yet- looking for suggestions. Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean? Somewhere beautiful and relaxing.

Well, Happy New Year to all. I'm so grateful for all of you- wonderful friends and family. May the New Year be a beautiful one.

And the sex is...

It's a BOY! I'm going to officially make this the first and last time I ever post my child's privates on the Internet. But, for proof, here's his little pee-pee.


This has been a most amazing day. I couldn't believe it was finally here when we woke up this morning to go to the doctor. Our appointment was at 9am and it was raining cats and dogs outside. We made it safely to the office, even a little early. Here's the proud parents in the waiting room.



We brought our friend Joy along with us- she's in town from Virginia. I wanted her to share our special day because she's usually so far away and she is way excited about this little guy. Makes me feel so loved. We were also joined by Mom, Bill and Cathy-Mom (Bryan's Mom). They will now be referred to as Granny, Pop, and Mimi. :) I like all of their Grandparent names. So cute. Anyway, Bryan and I went in the room first and got to see all of the imaging for the measurements (head, crown-to-rump, heart, spine, etc). We were so happy to see him there on the monitor. I don't know what it is about being newly pregnant, but sometimes it is hard to believe that there is actually a baby in there. It is just mind-boggling to see his little body growing right there inside of mine. So neat. He looked great and the technician was very complimentary. :) What a reassurance to know things are going well and he's growing like a champ. Hard to believe just 10 short weeks ago he was only the size of a peanut and now he looks like this.
I know it is a little hard to tell, but he's quite handsome. We got to take home a DVD of the entire session which is really great. At one point, we are seeing his profile and he is moving his jaw up and down while holding his hand in front of his face. He tries and tries and finally gets his little hand to his mouth. I loved it! It is amazing the detail you can see in an ultrasound. When all the measuring was complete, we were able to bring Granny and Mimi into the room. They were both so happy to see him and needless to say, a few tears were shed. Again, we feel so loved. I'm relishing the day and all of the special things that happened.
After we saw the doctor, we went to the waiting room to share the news with Pop and Joy. They were so happy to hear the news.
I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas and Birthday present than this holiday. We have had a lot of great family and friends time since Thanksgiving. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful group of people surrounding us and supporting us. I can't wait to introduce this boy to our loved ones.

PS- He's probably going to be named Cooper. But, we are keeping an open mind. :)

December

Wow, it is already December 5th! Goodness. We received our first Christmas card in the mail today. I love getting actual mail in the mailbox. The virtual kind is nice but the paper kind is so much nicer. I am in stage 1 of getting our cards out- get cards out of storage. Check. I always buy them 50% off the previous year so it is always a surprise to me what they look like when I pull them out. Kinda fun. We've been doing a photo card for the last couple of years, which is pretty fun. I don't always get around to writing much in the card so I feel that the photo in some way makes up for that. :) Right? At least people can see that we are relatively healthy- ie we still have our heads and teeth. Now, just gotta get dolled up and take that photo.

In baby news, we will be finding out the sex of our child (at least that's what I think is in there) on December 28th. The day before my 30th birthday. I can't think of a present any better than that. I'm pretty excited! I'm thinking that it might be a boy. The only indication being a dream that I had over Thanksgiving that I had a cute little 2 year old boy wearing a white turtleneck (would I really put him in a turtleneck?) and navy corduroy pants. In the dream, I put both of my hands on either side of his face and pulled him really close to mine- to try to see what/who he looked like. As dreams go, I of course could see nothing. Oh well, guess I will have to wait til he's born! Anyway, Bryan keeps calling it a he as well. So, we will be kinda shocked if it is actually a girl. I'm thrilled either way! Stay tuned for baby names.

I can't wait for vacation to start! I'm working until the 21st and then will have the rest of the year off! I like saying it that way because it makes it sound like a reallllly long time. I'm actually really looking forward to New Year's Eve. We are going to be low-key and stay home with just a few friends. I want to make some fun and yummy appetizers and just hang out and talk and watch the ball drop. I already bought beverages for myself- sparkling cider on super sale- grand total $3.40. New Year's hasn't been this cheap since 11th grade Boone's Farm buzz. Yee-haw.

Thanks to all my pals who have stopped by to read my blog. It makes it more fun to blog and keeps me motivated! Shout-out to all of my outta state or outta country readers! I love you guys! Can't wait to see you around the holidays if you are coming to Georgia. Here's one of my out-of-staters but I'm not sure she's a reader of mine yet. I just miss her.